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Quebec-based Agropur Cooperative has partnered with the Quartier de l’innovation de Montréal, AgBioCentre and NineSigma to launch Inno Challenge: an initiative to create new dairy products through open innovation.

According to a press release from Agropur, this is a Canadian first in agrifood innovation. With the tag line “Together, Let’s Reinvent Dairy!” a first call is now going out across Canada and internationally. Creative thinkers will have until December 7, 2016, to submit their proposals for innovative dairy products.

“In launching this call, Agropur is reaffirming its leadership as an innovator in its sector and opening the doors to co-development. We want to tap into the collective intelligence out there to help us stay at the cutting edge of dairy production and processing. This challenge will give creative types around the world an opportunity to make a meaningful, concrete contribution to the development of new products and innovative solutions,” says Robert Coallier, Agropur’s CEO.

The program is aiming to identify new innovations that expand, sustain and reinvigorate the use of dairy products and elevate dairy beyond a household staple. The selected participants will be announced in January 2017, with up to four projects each receiving a $25,000 grant and access to Agropur’s innovation support resources. Agropur will work with them to co-develop the selected concepts and bring them to the prototype stage, and the results of their efforts will be presented at Agropur’s Inno Expo in April 2017.

“This project also draws on Montreal’s creative ecosystem: the Quartier de l’innovation is a partner in the Challenge and will host the participants,” adds Coallier.

“Innovation does not only occur in the realm of technology, as evidenced by this initiative, which will shed light on the many evolving paradigm shifts in a sector such as agrifood,” says Damien Silès, executive director of the Quartier de l’innovation. “The development of new dairy products together with Agropur, here in the heart of the Quartier de l’innovation, will undoubtedly establish Montreal as a key player in this constantly changing industry.”